DOBYNS BLAZES ON BIRTHDAY
By Jeff Linder
The Gazette
Tuesday, May 06, 2003, 11:11:55 PM
CEDAR RAPIDS -- For her 18th birthday, Lynn Dobyns received a gift-wrapped easy night. Just one race, and she made it count.
"I'm used to running three races at a meet, so I was really able to concentrate on this one," Dobyns said after blazing to
victory in the 800-meter run at the Prairie Relays girls' track meet Tuesday night at John Wall Field.
Dobyns came from behind, winning in 2 minutes 15.33 seconds, breaking the meet record by about four seconds.
The 800 field was stacked, and Dobyns was one of three runners to break 2:16. Cedar Rapids Xavier's Erin Penticoff was second
(2:15.59), and Iowa City High's Nelle Trefz was third (2:15.91).
"It was great competition," said Dobyns, who has signed with the University of Illinois. "I wasn't really worried about my
time. I was worried about the pace of the race, and winning it."
Dobyns was running third as she entered the final curve. She surged to the lead and never surrendered it.
"That was definitely the strategy before the race," Dobyns said. "As strong as this field was, Coach (Mike Parker) helped
me decide how to run this one."
While the 800 was the individual highlight, the team race belonged to Iowa City High.
The defending Class 3A state champion won seven events and scored in all 19 on its way to a 141-point tally. Cedar Falls was
second with 108, followed by host Prairie (68) and West (65).
"It was a miracle," said City High Coach Terry Coleman. "Well, not a miracle, but a very good effort. We had all sorts of
minor injuries today -- a groin, a quad, a sinus infection and a knee -- but we battled through it."
The Little Hawks made serious noise in the hurdle events. City High won the shuttle hurdle relay, got a 1-2 finish from Maya
Monitto-Webber and Emily Triplett in the 100-meter hurdles and earned a 1-3 combo from Kelly Sherry and Laura Krumm in the
400 hurdles.
Jessica Elliott was the shot put champion and broke City High's oldest school record with a heave of 41 feet 10 inches. The
Little Hawks won the 1,600- and 3,200-meter relays and the sprint medley.
Dobyns' 800 effort was one of five meet records. Cedar Rapids Washington's Wendy Milam set the discus mark, and Prairie's
Lindsey Gee broke the long jump record.
Xavier set a meet record in the distance medley relay in 4:12.24. Megan Glover anchored in 2:19.
"The coaches told me to go against the clock," Glover said. "I was talking to myself, imagining there was somebody right on
my heels."
Cedar Falls broke the 400-meter relay record.